Company Overview

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) works to keep pace with the world’s growing demand for quality foods, feed ingredients for livestock, alternative fuels, and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional chemicals. The company is one of the world’s largest processors of oilseeds, corn, wheat, and cocoa, with a product line including soybean, peanut, and oilseed products, wheat and flour for bread products, and malt. ADM also operates one of the world’s largest crop origination and transportation networks, bringing crops to the market in 60 countries.

The company’s history dates back to 1902, when John Daniels started a linseed crushing business in Minneapolis.  George Archer joined the next year, and the duo acquired Midland Linseed Products in 1923 to become Archer Daniels Midland. Since its corporate inception that same year, ADM has added a major profit center every decade, including: milling, processing, specialty feed ingredients, specialty food ingredients, cocoa, nutrition, and more.

ADM has been quick to adapt their products to consumers’ health-conscious demands. In recent years, the company has met the increased need for liquid sorbitol, a sugar-free product used to manufacture items like toothpaste and chewing gum. ADM also has created a line of trans-free fats and oils, NovaLipid, used in margarines, shortenings, and other products with near zero levels of trans-fatty acids. And the company is producing more ethanol to meet rising demands for alternative fuel for automobiles.

ADM also has many alliances and joint ventures with other companies for their products. The company became a major supplier of peanuts after entering a 50-50 venture with Golden Peanut Company in 1986. In another equal alliance with Metabolix, ADM makes PHA, a biodegradable plastic. And in 2008, ADM formed a 50-50 venture with Associated British Foods, called Stratas Foods, which sells private-label edible oils. ADM is also an ally of ConocoPhillips, mainly for biofuel R&D and commercialization. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company owns almost 9 percent of the company.